San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green has suffered a second concussion in less than a month, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Green suffered his first concussion during a practice prior to their first game against the Detroit Lions. Green ended up playing in that game, catching five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. Green just suffered his second concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday. The San Diego tight end is in his fourth season and is proving to be an impact player for the Chargers.
Green was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, a day after arriving at the Chargers' facility with "concussion-like symptoms," said head coach Mike McCoy, via The San Diego Tribune.
"Like any player on our football team, we're going to be cautious with that," McCoy said. "He'll go through the normal protocol. He'll go through the evaluations throughout the rest of the week, and we'll go from there."
This is the third concussion for Green in the past year, as he was diagnosed with one after taking a big hit against the Patriots last December. Green missed the final three games of that season. Concussions are a very serious issue in football right now as new studies have shown a connection between football and brain disease.
It's unlikely that Green would go this weekend after suffering a second concussion in such a short period, but if he passes the concussion protocol then he could play. If Green can't go the Chargers will reach deep into their depth chart, as long-time Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was suspended four games before the season for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances.
Without Green and Gates the Chargers will have to go to John Phillips and David Johnson, who both have under 300 receiving yards individually and both have been in the league for six seasons. The Chargers will likely want to get Green back on the field soon because he is a big threat to defenses, but San Diego will need to be careful as concussions are nothing to fool around with.
